Clement Sheptytsky
Encyclopedia
Blessed hieromartyr
Clement Sheptytsky was the Archimandrite
of the Studite monks, martyred by the Soviets
in Siberia
.
He was born in the village of Prylbychi, near Lviv
in Galicia then under Austro-Hungarian rule to the old Rutheniana noble family of Sheptytsky as a younger brother of the future Metropolitan Servant of God Andrew Sheptytsky, and baptized Casimir Mary. He received his education first at home and starting in 1882 at Krakow
. Sheptytsky later also studied in Monachium and Paris
. In 1892 he received a Ph.D.
in law on the Jagiellonian University
. After finishing his studies he returned home to manage the family estates and look after his aging parents. In 1900 Casimir Sheptytsky was elected to the Austrian parliament however after its dissolution in 1907 he decided to withdraw from politics.
In 1911 he decided to become a monk and entered the Benedictine
(Latin Rite) monastery in Beuron
(Baden-Württemberg
). After a year he decided following the example of his older brother to switch to the Ukrainian Byzantine Rite
of their ancestors and moved to an Eastern Rite monastery in Bosnia. He took the name Clement, after Pope Saint Clement I martyred in Chersonesos, who together with St Andrew the First-Called is considered to be the founder of the Ukrainian Church and on August 28, 1913 was ordained a priest by the bishop of Križevci, Croatia. That same year he undertook theological studies in Innsbruck
and after finishing them in 1919 and returned to Ukraine to settle in the Holy Dormition Lavra in Univ.
In 1926 father Clement was named the Ihumen of the Lavra. In 1937 he came to Lviv
to aide his aide ailing brother Andrew. In 1939 the region was occupied by communists, the soviet "liberators" immediately implemented a plan to eliminate the Ukrainian intellectual elites and Church. At the time they did not arrest the Metropolitan himself, fearing his great authority among the nation, but went after his family attempting to capture Clement and murdering their brother Leon along with his family. During that time Metropolitan divided the soviet union into four exarchates and named father Clement the exarch of Russia
. In 1941 the red terror was interrupted with the outbreak of the Nazi-soviet war and the German occupation of Ukraine, however the situation did not improve much. During that time father Clement helped his brother rescue Jews harboring them in Studite monasteries and organizing groups that would aid them in escaping to Hungarian
controlled Transcarpathian Ukraine. With the return of the soviets in 1944 a coordinated action to destroy the Church and subject it to the Moscow Patriarchate was implemented.
After the death of the Metropolitan his successor Joseph Slipyj named father Clement the Archimandrate of the Studite monks. This meant that at the time of the mass arrest
of Church hierarchs carried out by the NKVD
in 1945 he remained one of the highest ranking clergymen left. As such he became an informal leader of the Church, meeting with monks and priests and strengthening them in their resolve. On June 5, 1947 he himself was arrested by soviets and held first in an NKVD prison in Lviv
, then in Kiev
and finally, after his steadfast refusal to renounce his faith and serve the Moscow Patriarchat, he died in a Siberian labour camp.
The blessed hieromartyr Clement Sheptytsky was beatified, together with 27 other Servants of God from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
, by the Holy Father Servant of God
John Paul II in Lviv
during his apostolic journey to Ukraine on June 27, 2001.
Hieromartyr
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, a hieromartyr is a martyr who was also one of the clergy . In like manner a priest-monk is often called a hieromonk....
Clement Sheptytsky was the Archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
of the Studite monks, martyred by the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
He was born in the village of Prylbychi, near Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
in Galicia then under Austro-Hungarian rule to the old Rutheniana noble family of Sheptytsky as a younger brother of the future Metropolitan Servant of God Andrew Sheptytsky, and baptized Casimir Mary. He received his education first at home and starting in 1882 at Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. Sheptytsky later also studied in Monachium and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1892 he received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in law on the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
. After finishing his studies he returned home to manage the family estates and look after his aging parents. In 1900 Casimir Sheptytsky was elected to the Austrian parliament however after its dissolution in 1907 he decided to withdraw from politics.
In 1911 he decided to become a monk and entered the Benedictine
Rule of St Benedict
The Rule of Saint Benedict is a book of precepts written by St. Benedict of Nursia for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. Since about the 7th century it has also been adopted by communities of women...
(Latin Rite) monastery in Beuron
Beuron
Beuron is a municipality in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Beuron is known for the Beuron Archabbey and the Beuron Art School for religious art.Beuron is divided into subdistricts :* Hausen im Donautal* Langenbrunn* Neidingen...
(Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
). After a year he decided following the example of his older brother to switch to the Ukrainian Byzantine Rite
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
of their ancestors and moved to an Eastern Rite monastery in Bosnia. He took the name Clement, after Pope Saint Clement I martyred in Chersonesos, who together with St Andrew the First-Called is considered to be the founder of the Ukrainian Church and on August 28, 1913 was ordained a priest by the bishop of Križevci, Croatia. That same year he undertook theological studies in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
and after finishing them in 1919 and returned to Ukraine to settle in the Holy Dormition Lavra in Univ.
In 1926 father Clement was named the Ihumen of the Lavra. In 1937 he came to Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
to aide his aide ailing brother Andrew. In 1939 the region was occupied by communists, the soviet "liberators" immediately implemented a plan to eliminate the Ukrainian intellectual elites and Church. At the time they did not arrest the Metropolitan himself, fearing his great authority among the nation, but went after his family attempting to capture Clement and murdering their brother Leon along with his family. During that time Metropolitan divided the soviet union into four exarchates and named father Clement the exarch of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. In 1941 the red terror was interrupted with the outbreak of the Nazi-soviet war and the German occupation of Ukraine, however the situation did not improve much. During that time father Clement helped his brother rescue Jews harboring them in Studite monasteries and organizing groups that would aid them in escaping to Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
controlled Transcarpathian Ukraine. With the return of the soviets in 1944 a coordinated action to destroy the Church and subject it to the Moscow Patriarchate was implemented.
After the death of the Metropolitan his successor Joseph Slipyj named father Clement the Archimandrate of the Studite monks. This meant that at the time of the mass arrest
Mass arrest
A mass arrest occurs when the police apprehend large numbers of suspects at once. This sometimes occurs at illegal protests. Some mass arrests are also used in an effort combat gang activity. This is sometimes controversial, and lawsuits sometimes result...
of Church hierarchs carried out by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
in 1945 he remained one of the highest ranking clergymen left. As such he became an informal leader of the Church, meeting with monks and priests and strengthening them in their resolve. On June 5, 1947 he himself was arrested by soviets and held first in an NKVD prison in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, then in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and finally, after his steadfast refusal to renounce his faith and serve the Moscow Patriarchat, he died in a Siberian labour camp.
The blessed hieromartyr Clement Sheptytsky was beatified, together with 27 other Servants of God from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
, by the Holy Father Servant of God
Servant of God
Servant of God is a title given to individuals by various religions, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a...
John Paul II in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
during his apostolic journey to Ukraine on June 27, 2001.